According to Golden, in September 2012, the area of the Arctic Ocean covered by sea ice reached its lowest level ever recorded in more than three decades of satellite measurements.a loss of more than half of the summer Arctic sea ice pack. And, although global climate models predict sea ice declines over the 21st century, these precipitous losses have significantly outpaced most projections.

During his lecture, Golden, will discuss how mathematical models of composite materials and statistical physics are being used to study key sea ice processes and advance how sea ice is represented in climate models. This work is helping to improve projections of the fate of Earth's ice packs and the response of polar ecosystems. A video from Golden's Antarctic expedition will also be shown.

Golden is a professor of mathematics and adjunct professor of bioengineering at the University of Utah. His scientific interests lie in sea ice, climate change, composite materials, phase transitions, and inverse problems. His lecture will be held on Wednesday, April 3, 2012, at 7:00 p.m., 175 Willey Hall, 225 19th Ave. South, West Bank, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.